Nail Polish Colors You Absolutely Shouldn’t Wear After 50

With so many colors to choose from, picking out a nail polish color at the nail salon can cause some major decision fatigue. That said, it’s best to eliminate colors that won’t give you a gorgeous, youthful-looking manicure.

1. Deep purple

When it comes to nail polish after 50, dark-hued shades with blue undertones can draw attention to aging factors like more prominent veins and dark spots. Case in point: deep purple. Shades in deep purple may look beautiful in the bottle, but once swiped across your nail bed, they could reveal some of those pesky marks.

3. Navy

By now, you’re probably aware of how blue undertones can negatively affect aging skin — especially on the hands. So, it should come of no surprise that navy is on the list. While it’s a beautiful color, the deep blue hue can draw attention to things like veins and deep wrinkles.

5. Yellow

If your hands are prone to sallowness, you may want to reconsider your choice of yellow nail polish. No matter how light or bright you go, any shades with a yellow undertone can make sallowness appear more prominent on hands.

Next: This trendy shade can make your hands look older than they really are.

6. Green

Whether you choose forest green, or mint, green nail polish is not going to do your hands any favors — especially after 50, when things like liver spots, uneven skin tone, and the contrast of wrinkles becomes more prominent. Because green can either have a blue, or yellow undertone, it’s best to avoid the shade altogether.

Next: While they’re fun, it’s best to stay away from these types of colors.

7. Neon colors

Neon colors can be a fun way to brighten up your manicure, but you’ll want to be careful about the colors you choose — especially since so many of them offer blue, or yellow undertones. Not to mention: If you are concerned about any signs of aging on your hands, neon colors tend to draw more attention to your hands, therefore making the signs more noticeable.

Next: The best nail polish color to wear after 50 (or, any age!)

8. Red orange

The best nail polish color to wear after 50? Red with an orange undertone. Known as a universal nail polish color, red orange nail polish looks great on all skin tones and doesn’t draw attention to aging factors like dark spots, wrinkles, blue-hued veins, and more.